Ideas are being discussed to extend the Trans-Siberian Railway so that one could travel by train from London to Tokyo.
A Japanese newspaper reported that the Russian government floated the proposal to Japan as a way to link the two countries by rail.
Today the line terminates in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East. The proposal would extend the route to Khabarovsk, cross the Strait of Tartary and terminate in Wakkanai at the northern tip of Japan’s Hokkaido island.
The proposal fits with Russia’s broader objective to develop its Far Eastern regions, which lag behind much of the country economically. At the same time, Japan has been working to boost international tourism and aimed to increase visitor numbers around the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
However, the plan faces political obstacles. A long-running territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands — a chain of islands claimed by both countries — complicates cooperation. Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Japan in December, and the idea of a rail connection could become a significant topic in discussions during that visit.